Apparatus for Weight Based Single Doses of Medication

ABSTRACT

An apparatus comprises a container comprising a volume. The volume is configured to retain a single dose of a medication appropriate for a specific classification of a weight of a patient. A first indicia is disposed on an exterior surface of the container. The first indicia indicates a type of the medication. A second indicia is disposed on the exterior surface. The second indicia indicates the specific classification, wherein the container, pre-packaged with the single dose, is appropriate for a single use dosing of the patient having the specific weight classification.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

The present continuation-in-part patent application claims prioritybenefit of the U.S. non-provisional application for patent Ser. No.14/311,289 filed on Jun. 21, 2014 under 35 U.S.C. 119(e). The contentsof the related non-provisional application are incorporated herein byreference for all purposes to the extent that such subject matter is notinconsistent herewith or limiting hereof.

RELATED CO-PENDING U.S. PATENT APPLICATIONS

Not applicable.

FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH OR DEVELOPMENT

Not applicable.

REFERENCE TO SEQUENCE LISTING, A TABLE, OR A COMPUTER LISTING APPENDIX

Not applicable.

COPYRIGHT NOTICE

A portion of the disclosure of this patent document contains materialthat is subject to copyright protection. The copyright owner has noobjection to the facsimile reproduction by anyone of the patent documentor patent disclosure as it appears in the Patent and Trademark Office,patent file or records, but otherwise reserves all copyright rightswhatsoever.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

One or more embodiments of the invention generally relate topharmaceuticals. More particularly, the invention relates to weightbased premeasured single doses of pediatric medication.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The following background information may present examples of specificaspects of the prior art (e.g., without limitation, approaches, facts,or common wisdom) that, while expected to be helpful to further educatethe reader as to additional aspects of the prior art, is not to beconstrued as limiting the present invention, or any embodiments thereof,to anything stated or implied therein or inferred thereupon. Medicationerrors and dosing errors in particular are believed to be a largeproblem in medical settings. Due to the point that the size of pediatricpatients can vary greatly depending on the age of the patient, one mayexpect that these errors may be especially problematic in the pediatricpopulation. For example, without limitation, a 1 week old may be halfthe size of a 6 month old and a fraction the size of a 5 year old.Therefore, a medication dose for a 5 year old may likely be lethal for a1 week old. Furthermore, it is contemplated that the rate of medicationerrors may be made worse depending on the situation in which themedications are being given. For example, without limitation, errorrates in pre-hospital patients treated by EMS services or in emergencyand resuscitation situations in hospitals may likely be greater thanerror rates for patients in non-emergency, hospital situations.Moreover, it is contemplated that the risk of negative outcomes as aresult of medication errors may increase during an emergency as many ofthe drugs administered during an emergency are high-alert medicationsand patients are often in a vulnerable state.

Medication dosage errors in pediatric patients are largely attributableto the need to calculate weight based dosages. If an adult is beingresuscitated, most of the first line drugs given emergently aretypically in prefilled syringes containing a single dose. For example,without limitation, if a physician requests epinephrine, a nurse isusually able to take an epinephrine syringe from an emergency drawer andinject the entire contents through the patient's IV. This single dose isnormally the correct dose for almost all adults. In contrast, mostmedications for pediatric patients are typically provided in containersor vials that have a large concentrated dose of medication from whichthe recommended dose is drawn. In an emergency situation, a pediatricpatient's weight is estimated using a conventional method such as, butnot limited to, basing the weight on the age of the patient or utilizinga measuring tape that uses length, body surface area, limb measurementsor a combination to estimate the patient's size. Then, a pediatricmedication chart is typically used to determine the appropriate dose ofthe specific medication for a child of that size. In some cases, themedication dose may need to be converted from the concentration of thevial containing a larger dose of the medicine, drawn up, and finallygiven to the patient. Additionally, the various different medicationsthat may be requested by the physician, of which there are many, mayeach have a unique concentration, dose, volume, etc. Often thesecalculations can be complex. Due to the potential complexity of thisprocess, one may expect that treatment may be delayed or that mistakesmay be made. In addition, calculating dosages may cause additionalstress for personnel or the patient during an emergency situation.Currently, it is believed that there is no way to avoid performingcalculations to administer the correct dose of most pediatricmedications, even in a relaxed non-urgent situation. For example, toadminister ibuprofen to a pediatric patient, the doctor first determineshow many milligrams (mg) per kilogram to give to the patient, and themedication is ordered as a mg dose. The ibuprofen is typically providedin a concentrated dose of say 100 milligrams in 5 milliliters.Therefore, the medical staff must then calculate the volume of theliquid to administer to the patient.

The following are examples of specific aspects in the prior art that,while expected to be helpful to further educate the reader as toadditional aspects of the prior art, is not to be construed as limitingthe present invention, or any embodiments thereof, to anything stated orimplied therein or inferred thereupon. By way of educational background,an aspect of the prior art generally useful to be aware of is thatcurrent solutions to administering the appropriate dose of manymedications to a pediatric patient, particularly in an emergency orresuscitation situation, typically require the medical personnel toperform calculations or to prepare the medication to some degree. Forexample, one current solution involves a concept to reconstitute allpediatric resuscitation medications into a standardizedformulation/concentration so that the dose of all of these medicationsis the same volume for a given weight range. Using this method themedical personnel estimates the weight of the patient and thencalculates the volume of medication that would be an appropriate dosefor any of the medications made in this standardized concentration.Another current solution involves using a measuring tape to estimate theweight of the patient based on their length. Then a color associatedwith a child of that size is assigned to the patient. Once a color for apatient has been determined, this color may be used to formulate all ofthe dosage calculations for that patient. For example, if a patient isindicated by the measurements to fall into the blue category, a list ofthe appropriate dosages of multiple medications may be found on the bluepage in a medication folder. However, the medication dose typically muststill be calculated and drawn up. Furthermore, problems may arise if amember of the medical team is color blind. There may also be problems ofcontinuity if, for example, the ambulance company uses this system andthe receiving hospital does not or vice versa.

In view of the foregoing, it is clear that these traditional techniquesare not perfect and leave room for more optimal approaches.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The present invention is illustrated by way of example, and not by wayof limitation, in the figures of the accompanying drawings and in whichlike reference numerals refer to similar elements and in which:

FIG. 1 is a diagrammatic side view of an exemplary syringe comprising apremeasured dose of medication for a pediatric patient, in accordancewith an embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a diagrammatic side view of an exemplary color coded syringecomprising a premeasured dose of medication for a pediatric patient, inaccordance with an embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 3 is a diagrammatic front view of an exemplary IV bag containingnormal saline comprising a premeasured dose of medication for apediatric patient, in accordance with an embodiment of the presentinvention;

FIG. 4 is a diagrammatic front view of an exemplary suppositorycomprising a premeasured dose of medication for a pediatric patient in acertain weight class, in accordance with an embodiment of the presentinvention; and

FIG. 5 is a diagrammatic back view of an exemplary blister packcomprising a premeasured dose of medication for a pediatric patient, inaccordance with an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 6 is a diagrammatic front view of an exemplary wrist band, inaccordance with an embodiment of the present invention.

Unless otherwise indicated illustrations in the figures are notnecessarily drawn to scale.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF SOME EMBODIMENTS

The present invention is best understood by reference to the detailedfigures and description set forth herein.

Embodiments of the invention are discussed below with reference to theFigures. However, those skilled in the art will readily appreciate thatthe detailed description given herein with respect to these figures isfor explanatory purposes as the invention extends beyond these limitedembodiments. For example, it should be appreciated that those skilled inthe art will, in light of the teachings of the present invention,recognize a multiplicity of alternate and suitable approaches, dependingupon the needs of the particular application, to implement thefunctionality of any given detail described herein, beyond theparticular implementation choices in the following embodiments describedand shown. That is, there are numerous modifications and variations ofthe invention that are too numerous to be listed but that all fit withinthe scope of the invention. Also, singular words should be read asplural and vice versa and masculine as feminine and vice versa, whereappropriate, and alternative embodiments do not necessarily imply thatthe two are mutually exclusive.

It is to be further understood that the present invention is not limitedto the particular methodology, compounds, materials, manufacturingtechniques, uses, and applications, described herein, as these may vary.It is also to be understood that the terminology used herein is used forthe purpose of describing particular embodiments only, and is notintended to limit the scope of the present invention. It must be notedthat as used herein and in the appended claims, the singular forms “a,”“an,” and “the” include the plural reference unless the context clearlydictates otherwise. Thus, for example, a reference to “an element” is areference to one or more elements and includes equivalents thereof knownto those skilled in the art. Similarly, for another example, a referenceto “a step” or “a means” is a reference to one or more steps or meansand may include sub-steps and subservient means. All conjunctions usedare to be understood in the most inclusive sense possible. Thus, theword “or” should be understood as having the definition of a logical“or” rather than that of a logical “exclusive or” unless the contextclearly necessitates otherwise. Structures described herein are to beunderstood also to refer to functional equivalents of such structures.Language that may be construed to express approximation should be sounderstood unless the context clearly dictates otherwise.

Unless defined otherwise, all technical and scientific terms used hereinhave the same meanings as commonly understood by one of ordinary skillin the art to which this invention belongs. Preferred methods,techniques, devices, and materials are described, although any methods,techniques, devices, or materials similar or equivalent to thosedescribed herein may be used in the practice or testing of the presentinvention. Structures described herein are to be understood also torefer to functional equivalents of such structures. The presentinvention will now be described in detail with reference to embodimentsthereof as illustrated in the accompanying drawings.

From reading the present disclosure, other variations and modificationswill be apparent to persons skilled in the art. Such variations andmodifications may involve equivalent and other features which arealready known in the art, and which may be used instead of or inaddition to features already described herein.

Although Claims have been formulated in this Application to particularcombinations of features, it should be understood that the scope of thedisclosure of the present invention also includes any novel feature orany novel combination of features disclosed herein either explicitly orimplicitly or any generalization thereof, whether or not it relates tothe same invention as presently claimed in any Claim and whether or notit mitigates any or all of the same technical problems as does thepresent invention.

Features which are described in the context of separate embodiments mayalso be provided in combination in a single embodiment. Conversely,various features which are, for brevity, described in the context of asingle embodiment, may also be provided separately or in any suitablesubcombination. The Applicants hereby give notice that new Claims may beformulated to such features and/or combinations of such features duringthe prosecution of the present Application or of any further Applicationderived therefrom.

References to “one embodiment,” “an embodiment,” “example embodiment,”“various embodiments,” etc., may indicate that the embodiment(s) of theinvention so described may include a particular feature, structure, orcharacteristic, but not every embodiment necessarily includes theparticular feature, structure, or characteristic. Further, repeated useof the phrase “in one embodiment,” or “in an exemplary embodiment,” donot necessarily refer to the same embodiment, although they may.

Headings provided herein are for convenience and are not to be taken aslimiting the disclosure in any way.

The enumerated listing of items does not imply that any or all of theitems are mutually exclusive, unless expressly specified otherwise.

The terms “a”, “an” and “the” mean “one or more”, unless expresslyspecified otherwise.

Devices or system modules that are in at least general communicationwith each other need not be in continuous communication with each other,unless expressly specified otherwise. In addition, devices or systemmodules that are in at least general communication with each other maycommunicate directly or indirectly through one or more intermediaries.

A description of an embodiment with several components in communicationwith each other does not imply that all such components are required. Onthe contrary a variety of optional components are described toillustrate the wide variety of possible embodiments of the presentinvention.

As is well known to those skilled in the art many careful considerationsand compromises typically must be made when designing for the optimalmanufacture of a commercial implementation any system, and inparticular, the embodiments of the present invention. A commercialimplementation in accordance with the spirit and teachings of thepresent invention may configured according to the needs of theparticular application, whereby any aspect(s), feature(s), function(s),result(s), component(s), approach(es), or step(s) of the teachingsrelated to any described embodiment of the present invention may besuitably omitted, included, adapted, mixed and matched, or improvedand/or optimized by those skilled in the art, using their average skillsand known techniques, to achieve the desired implementation thataddresses the needs of the particular application.

It is to be understood that any exact measurements/dimensions orparticular construction materials indicated herein are solely providedas examples of suitable configurations and are not intended to belimiting in any way. Depending on the needs of the particularapplication, those skilled in the art will readily recognize, in lightof the following teachings, a multiplicity of suitable alternativeimplementation details.

One embodiment of the present invention may provide weight based,prepackaged pediatric medications comprising a single dose of medicationthat may be uniquely appropriate for a specific patient weight or weightrange. This embodiment may enable medical personnel to administer anappropriate dose of medication without the need to measure, scale,calculate, or draw up the dose as these medications may be availablefrom the manufacturer in pre-measured doses with corresponding patientweights indicated on the containers. In some embodiments, the entirecontents of the medication container may be the appropriate dose for apatient whose weight corresponds to the weight indicated on thecontainer. By typically eliminating the need to calculate, measure, ordraw up pediatric medications, it is believed that some embodiments ofthe present invention may help in reducing or practically eliminatingmedication dosing errors. Furthermore, some embodiments may ensure thatmedication is administered in a timely manner and may help to reducestress on medical staff.

FIG. 1 is a diagrammatic side view of an exemplary syringe 100comprising a premeasured dose of medication for a pediatric patient, inaccordance with an embodiment of the present invention. In the presentembodiment, syringe 100 comprises an appropriate dose of Epinephrine fora child weighing between 12-14 kg as indicated by a drug label 105 and apatient weight classification 110. Some existing weight ranges fordosing pediatric patients in emergency situations are 3-5 kg, 6-7 kg,8-9 kg, 10-11 kg, 12-14 kg, 15-18 kg, 19-23 kg, 24-29 kg, 30-36 kg.These weight ranges may be used generally or narrowed further to givemore accurate dosing, particularly in the lower ranges. For example, the3-5 kg range may be further reduced to 3 kg, 4 kg, 5 kg or smaller. Itis anticipated the specific weight ranges used for the implementation ofthis invention may be decided by a panel of Pediatric Medical andPharmaceutical experts. Some embodiments may be implemented toincorporate more or fewer weight groups. In the present embodiment,there may be a different single dose syringe or another type ofcontainer to coincide with each of these weight ranges. For example,without limitation, if a patient falls into the 12-14 kg weight range,the medical personnel may have access to a variety of medications insyringes or other types of containers in premeasured doses for a childof that weight. For practically every medication that may be given to apediatric patient, there may be dispensing devices such as, but notlimited to, syringes, medication cups, tablets, suppositories, drops,nebulizers or IV bags that comprise premeasured doses of a thesemedications, each of which is appropriate for a specific weight group.Medications that may be provided in these premeasured, single dosecontainers may include, without limitation, all common medications thatmay be administered in emergency or resuscitation situations and innon-emergency situations, as well as chemotherapy drugs, dialysistreatments, IV contrasts and dyes for radiology, etc. Some of thesemedications may include, but are not limited to, epinephrine, atropine,lidocaine hydrochloride, etomidate, midazolam, ketamine, fentanylcitrate, morphine sulfate, thiopental sodium, succinylcholine chloride,pancuronium bromide, vecuronium bromide, lorazepam, diazepam, naloxone,adenosine, calcium gluconate, dextrose, sodium bicarbonate,phenobarbital sodium, ibuprofen, acetaminophen, etc. In someembodiments, blood and blood products may also be prepackaged in such away that the volume of the blood matches the correct volume required forthe weight range of the child. Some embodiments may be configured toadminister medications to adults when doses may vary depending onvarious different factors such as, but not limited to weight, age, sex,condition, etc. Other embodiments may be implemented for use in amultiplicity of suitable applications including, without limitation,veterinary applications, etc.

In the present embodiment, syringe 100 may be clearly marked with thename of the medication with drug label 105 and the patient weight rangefor which the dose is appropriate by weight classification 110. Similarmarkings may be placed on the container regardless of the type ofcontainer. For example, without limitation, the name and weight rangemay be clearly marked on single dose medication cups, IV bags, etc. Insome embodiments the medication container may comprise a variety ofadditional or different information such as, but not limited to, theactual dosage of the medication, any legally mandated indicia, warnings,possible side effects, etc. In some embodiments the weight range may beshown in multiple or different units of weight including, withoutlimitation, kilograms, pounds, ounces, etc. It is contemplated that insome embodiments, weight classification 110 may comprise variousdifferent types of indicators 120 in addition to or rather than thewritten form of the weight range to indicate which weight range may begiven that specific dose. For example, without limitation, each weightgroup may be identified by, but not limited to, an icon, a symbol, animage of a unique animal and/or a cartoon character, etc. In this caseperhaps an image of an animal may be used to represent a 6 kg weightgroup so that each syringe or container with the appropriate dose for achild weighing 6 kg comprises an image of an animal, regardless of themedication, volume of medication, method of administration of themedication, etc. As part of a system that may incorporate premeasureddoses of pediatric medications, the patient may also be provided with awrist band 600, sticker or stamp etc comprising an image of thecorresponding animal, which may be checked against the indicator 120 onthe medication being dispensed to generally ensure the correct dose isadministered. Alternatively, as illustrated by way of example in FIG. 2,the container may be colored to correspond to a color code representingvarious weight ranges. Similarly, the patient may wear a wrist band 600(See FIG. 6) of the same color to check against the medicationcontainers. Those skilled in the art will readily recognize, in light ofand in accordance with the teachings of the present invention, that amultiplicity of suitable indicators 120 may be used to associate thecontainer to a specific weight range such as, but not limited to,cartoon characters, animals, shapes, letters, numbers, names, symbols,etc. In addition, scales incorporating the specific weight ranges andassociated indicator into their measurements may also be implemented tofurther ensure that the correct weight range is determined for thepatient. For example, without limitation, when a patient is weighed onsuch a scale, the weight of the patient may be displayed as well as theindicia used to differentiate that weight range, e.g., a color or animage of an animal, etc.

FIG. 2 is a diagrammatic side view of an exemplary color coded syringeor vial 200 comprising a premeasured dose of medication for a pediatricmedication, in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention.In the present embodiment, syringe 200 comprises an appropriate dose ofEpinephrine for a child weighing between 12-14 kg as indicated by a druglabel 205 and a patient weight classification 210. The body of syringe200 is yellow to correspond to the weight range of 12-14 kg for whichthe dose of medication in syringe 200 is appropriate. It is contemplatedthat some embodiments using color coding may use different colors torepresent different weight ranges. For example, without limitation, someembodiments may be configured to correspond to the color coding schemesof existing resuscitation systems such as, but not limited to, theBroselow system, the Antevy system, and any future systems that may bedeveloped. Other embodiments may use a unique color coding system. Insome embodiments the syringe or other medication container may comprisea dot or stripe of the color rather than being fully colored. In someembodiments, weight classification 210 may also incorporate the use of aweight range indicator 220 such as, but not limited to, an animal imagein addition to the color coding. In additional embodiments, the patientmay wear a wrist band 600 (See FIG. 6) of the same color coding and/orthe animal image to check against the color coded syringe 200 beingdispensed to generally ensure the correct dose is administered withouthaving to do any calculations.

FIG. 3 is a diagrammatic front view of an exemplary IV bag 300containing normal saline comprising a premeasured dose of medication fora child or pediatric patient, in accordance with an embodiment of thepresent invention. Medication dosage errors in pediatric patients arelargely attributable to the need to calculate weight based dosages.Often these calculations can be complex. Due to the potential complexityof this process, one may expect that treatment may be delayed or thatmistakes may be made resulting in medication dosage errors. In thepresent embodiment, IV bag 300 comprises an appropriate dose of normalsaline for a child within a certain weight (range), an example of whichis shown for a child weighing between 7-7.9 kg as indicated by a druglabel 305 and a patient weight classification 310. In certainembodiments, IV bag 300 may be color coded to the predetermined weightclassification 310. In some embodiments, weight classification 310 mayalso incorporate the use of a weight range indicator 320 such as, butnot limited to, an animal image in addition to the color coding. Inadditional embodiments, the patient may wear a wrist band 600 (See FIG.6) of the same color coding and/or animal image to check against the IVbag 300 being dispensed to generally ensure the correct dose isadministered without having to do complex calculations. In otherembodiments, any IV infusion medications such as, but not limited to, IVfluids and/or IV medications such as antibiotics should be the correcttotal volume for a child of the stated weight range. In practice, whereIV infusions such as, but not limited to, an antibiotic that may need tobe reconstituted into an IV bag 300, both the premeasured volume of theantibiotic, which may be retained in the vial or syringe 200 and thepremeasured volume of the normal saline, which may be retained in the IVbag 300, is specific to the weight group of the child. So a nurse orcaregiver may add the entire content of antibiotic in the vial orsyringe 200 with the IV fluid in the IV bag 300, without the necessarycalculations, which may introduce dosage errors. By administering thepremeasured dose of the IV fluid and the premeasured volume of the IVmedication in the IV bag 300, the child is getting the correct dose, andwithout dosage errors.

FIG. 4 is a diagrammatic front view of an exemplary suppository 400comprising a premeasured dose of Acetaminophen for a pediatric patientin a certain weight class, in accordance with an embodiment of thepresent invention. Medication dosage errors in pediatric patients arelargely attributable to the need to calculate weight based dosages.Often these calculations can be complex. Due to the potential complexityof this process, one may expect that treatment may be delayed or thatmistakes may be made resulting in medication dosage errors. In thepresent embodiment, suppository 400 comprises an appropriate dose ofAcetaminophen for a child within a certain weight (range), an example ofwhich is shown for a child weighing between 5-5.9 kg as indicated by adrug label 405 and a patient weight classification 410. In otherembodiments, suppository 400 may be color coded to the predeterminedweight classification 410. In some embodiments, weight classification410 may also incorporate the use of a weight range indicator 420 suchas, but not limited to, an animal image in addition to the color coding.In additional embodiments, the patient may wear a wrist band 600 (SeeFIG. 6) of the same color coding and/or animal image to check againstthe suppository 400 being dispensed to generally ensure the correct doseis administered without having to do complex calculations, which mayintroduce dosage errors.

FIG. 5 is a diagrammatic back view of an exemplary blister pack 500comprising a premeasured dose of Ibuprofen for a pediatric patient, inaccordance with an embodiment of the present invention. Medicationdosage errors in pediatric patients are largely attributable to the needto calculate weight based dosages. Often these calculations can becomplex. Due to the potential complexity of this process, one may expectthat treatment may be delayed or that mistakes may be made resulting inmedication dosage errors. In the present embodiment, blister pack 500comprises an appropriate dose of Ibuprofen for a child within a certainweight (range), an example of which is shown for a child weighingbetween 18-20 kg as indicated by a drug label 505 and a patient weightclassification 510. In other embodiments, blister pack 500 may be colorcoded to the predetermined weight classification 510. In someembodiments, weight classification 510 may also incorporate the use of aweight range indicator 520 such as, but not limited to, an animal imagein addition to the color coding. In additional embodiments, the patientmay wear a wrist band 600 (See FIG. 6) of the same color coding and/oranimal image to check against the blister pack 500 being dispensed togenerally ensure the correct dose is administered without having to docomplex calculations, which may introduce dosage errors.

FIG. 6 is a diagrammatic front view of an exemplary wrist band 600, inaccordance with an embodiment of the present invention. In the presentembodiment, wrist band 600 may be clearly marked with the patientpersonal identifiable information including name of the patient, date ofbirth of the patient, and a unique MRN. medication with drug label 105and the patient weight range for which the dose is appropriate by weightclassification 110. As part of a system that may incorporate premeasureddoses of pediatric medications, the patient may also be provided with awrist band 600 comprising patient actual weight and weightclassification 610, and an image of a unique animal or cartoon character620, which may be checked against the indicator 120, 220, 320, 420 and520 on the medication being dispensed to generally ensure the correctdose is administered. Those skilled in the art will readily recognize,in light of and in accordance with the teachings of the presentinvention, that a multiplicity of suitable indicators 620 may be used toassociate the containers 100, 200, 300, 400, and 500 to a specificweight range such as, but not limited to, icons, cartoon characters,animals, shapes, letters, numbers, names, symbols, etc. In addition,scales incorporating the specific weight ranges and associated indicatorinto their measurements may also be implemented to further ensure thatthe correct weight range is determined for the patient. For example,without limitation, when a patient is weighed on such a scale, theweight of the patient may be displayed as well as the indicia used todifferentiate that weight range, e.g., a color, a cartoon character, asymbol, an icon, a name or an image of an animal, etc.

In typical use of an embodiment of the present invention, the patient'sweight is first obtained on a scale or estimated using a measuring tapeor some other weight estimating device. Virtually any medication thatmay be administered to the patient and some other types of treatmentssuch as, but not limited to, fluids, imaging dyes or contrasts, ornutritional supplements may be available to the medical personnel inpremeasured, single dose containers corresponding to specific patientweight ranges. Medication dosage errors in pediatric patients arelargely attributable to the need to calculate weight based dosages.Often these calculations can be complex. Due to the potential complexityof this process, one may expect that treatment may be delayed or thatmistakes may be made. The medications in these containers may be givenimmediately to the patient typically without the need to perform dosingcalculations or the need to draw up the medication from a larger vial orcontainer. A doctor may order a pediatric medication as a standardizedorder based on the weight range of the patient. The order wouldtypically correspond to the weight range indicated on a pre-measured,single dose syringe or another type of container. The nurse or othermedical personnel may then be able to administer the medication quicklyand easily by simply obtaining the medication in a premeasured, singledose container, ensuring that the weight range on the container isappropriate for the patient, and administering the entire dose to thepatient. By administering the entire contents of the medicationcontainer, the nurse typically gives the patient the optimal dose ofthat medication for a child of that weight.

It is contemplated that, whenever possible, the single dose containersin which the medications are provided may be the dispensing device orfinal packaging for the medication. For example, without limitation, IVpush meds may be provided in a syringe that may be administered directlyinto an IV without measuring or drawing up the medication. Oralmedications may be provided in a syringe that can be squeezed into thepatient's mouth or in a medication cup that can be sipped. IV fluids maybe provided in a bag with the appropriate volume for the weight range.Where medications require reconstitution with a dissolving solution, forexample, without limitation, antibiotics, both the medication in thevial holding the medication and the volume of the bag of dissolvingsolution may be provided in the appropriate dose to administer to thepatient in full based on their weight range, with no waste orcalculations required. Those skilled in the art will readily recognize,in light of and in accordance with the teachings of the presentinvention, that medications and treatments administered through variousdifferent means may incorporate single dose dispensing containersaccording to some embodiments of the present invention. Somenon-limiting examples of these types of medications and treatmentsinclude but are not limited to, inhaled, iv bolus, iv fluids, ivinfusion, intramuscular, oral, nebulized, sub cutaneous, sub lingual,topical, dermal, intradermal, transdermal, intraosseous,intra-articular, intranasal, urethral, vaginal, aural, ocular, nasal,suppositories, treatments administered through nasogastric tubes,gastric tubes, and feeding tubes etc. In some embodiments medicationsmay be provided in premeasured single dose containers that are notdispensing devices, such as but not limited to, vials. In theseembodiments, the appropriate dose of the medication for that patent maybe premeasured, yet the medication may still need to be drawn up into adispensing container such as, but not limited to, a syringe or otherwiseprepared to be administered.

The use of premeasured single dose medication containers according tosome embodiments of the present invention may help to prevent problemsassociated with medication dispensing errors during pediatric medicationdispensing generally and pediatric resuscitation especially. The singledose containers may also help to ensure that the patient typicallyreceives the medication in a timely fashion as no calculations need tobe made or medications drawn up from a vial. The ease of administrationof medications in single dose containers may also reduce stress on themedical staff, especially during emergencies. Furthermore, medicationordering may be easier for doctors, and medication administration may beeasier for nurses and other medical personnel. In addition, researchinto medications and methods may be unreliable due to improper dosingwhen using current dosing methods. This issue may be reduced oreliminated with the use of some embodiments since researchers may bemore confident in the data they were receiving because of more accuratedosing.

For safety reasons, some embodiments may incorporate a system to holdthese pre-dosed medications, with each weight group having their ownunique drawer or container. For example, without limitation, a mobilecart with multiple drawers may be used with a unique drawer or containerfor each weight range that holds only syringes and other drug containerswith appropriate dosing for that weight range, similar to a pediatricresuscitation cart. In some embodiments each drawer or container may becolor coded to correspond to existing resuscitation color codes such asthe Broselow system or the Antevy system, or other weight range colorcoding systems. Within each drawer or container there may be at leastone single dose container for multiple medications. The single dosecontainers may be clearly marked with the name of the drug and theweight range. The single dose containers may also comprise otherinformation such as, but not limited to, actual dosage, color coding,side effects etc. For further safety, each medication may have aseparate compartment within each drawer, which is clearly labelled withthe name of the medication. In emergency situations it is specificallyanticipated that this system may be used in conjunction with existing orfuture pediatric resuscitation or emergency systems including but notlimited to the Broselow system, the Broselow Luten system, the BroselowHinkle system, the Pediatric cart, the Broselow pediatric cart, theArtemis system, the Antevy system, the Mercy tape, etc. Some embodimentsmay use a multiplicity of suitable systems for holding and organizingpre-dosed medication such as, but not limited to, a cupboard or cabinet,an automated medication dispenser, a shelving system, refrigeratedstorage, a moveable trolley, a carry bag etc.

Those skilled in the art will readily recognize, in light of and inaccordance with the teachings of the present invention, that someembodiments of the present invention may be used in almost any medicalenvironment including, without limitation, doctors' offices, ambulances,hospitals, clinics, etc. Moreover, some embodiments may be configuredfor over the counter medications such as, but not limited to, ibuprofen,acetaminophen, antihistamines, etc. It is contemplated that medicationsprovided in premeasured single dose containers may be closely integratedinto the hospital or medical environment's pharmacy system. Forresuscitation situations the medications may be kept in a cart beside anexisting pediatric resuscitation cart or in the pediatric resuscitationcart. Medications specifically for resuscitations and emergencies andintended to be used in conjunction with existing resuscitation systemsmay be sold to service the systems, as part of the systems, asaccessories to the systems, or as alternatives to the systems. In anon-emergency environment such as, but not limited to, an ER with anon-emergent presentation or a wellness clinic, there may be a medicinedispensing device such as, but not limited to, an Omnicell® system,which is like an electronic cupboard or vending machine that houses anddispenses a range of medications. It is envisioned that some embodimentsmay incorporate a separate Omnicell® type system or a separate cupboardfor weight based, pre-dosed pediatric medications, which is clearlymarked as such. It is contemplated that automated medication dispensingdevices with greater capacity may be implemented to dispense pre-dosedmedications, as providing a separate container for each individual dosemay greatly increase the spacial storage requirement. If a patient isbeing treated on a hospital floor or in a hospital ward, nurses oftenperform medication rounds with a mobile cart that may be rolled frompatient to patient to administer meds to the patients as needed. It isanticipated in this situation that this medication cart may compriseclearly delineated sections or drawers for each unique weight group ofmedications. Alternatively, a stationary automated dispensing unit orcupboard may be present on the floor or ward.

On an ambulance it is envisioned that premeasured single dose medicationcontainers according to some embodiments may be incorporated into asystem like the Broselow Hinkle system with multiple colored pouchesthat correspond to weight rages and where each pouch comprises pre-dosedcontainers of a range of medications that may be likely to beadministered on an ambulance. Due to the lack of space on an ambulance,it may be desirable for the pouches to be small enough to benon-intrusive yet contain enough medications as necessary. In someembodiments these medication pouches may be collapsible and/or foldable.A doctor's office may use any of the above described methods orcombinations of methods to incorporate single dose medication containersinto their practice. In some embodiments, premeasured single doses ofmedication may be sold over the counter. Once the general public hasbeen educated, medications may be stocked in drug stores or pharmaciesin marked boxes or containers clearly stating that the doses containedinside are for children of a specific weight only. The packaging mayalso comprise a unique indicia such as, but not limited to, a color oran image so that consumers can easily identify the correct dosage. Toaid in this, scales may be provided near the medications to verify theweight of the child before choosing a dosage.

Those skilled in the art will readily recognize, in light of and inaccordance with the teachings of the present invention, that amultiplicity of suitable products and accessories may be developed foruse with some embodiments. Computer program's may be produced or updatedfor doctors and hospitals that uses default settings to automaticallypopulate the appropriate dose for a patient once the medication ischosen and the patient's weight is known. For example, withoutlimitation, if a patient is 4.3 kg and the doctor wants to orderibuprofen, the program may automatically default to a 4 kg pre-dosedsyringe order. Also, medication pumps may be developed or updatedspecifically for use with these pre-dosed medications. Some non-limitingexamples of other products that may be developed for use with systemsaccording to some embodiments may include, without limitation, a barcodereader that may scan barcodes on medication containers and on patientwristbands or files to confirm the correct dose is being administered,color coded IV ports, scales incorporating weight group specificindicia, medication holding and dispensing machines, wristbands toidentify the child to its allocated weight group and correspondingindicia etc.

All the features disclosed in this specification, including anyaccompanying abstract and drawings, may be replaced by alternativefeatures serving the same, equivalent or similar purpose, unlessexpressly stated otherwise. Thus, unless expressly stated otherwise,each feature disclosed is one example only of a generic series ofequivalent or similar features.

It is noted that according to USA law 35 USC §112 (1), all claims mustbe supported by sufficient disclosure in the present patentspecification, and any material known to those skilled in the art neednot be explicitly disclosed. However, 35 USC §112 (6) requires thatstructures corresponding to functional limitations interpreted under 35USC §112 (6) must be explicitly disclosed in the patent specification.Moreover, the USPTO's Examination policy of initially treating andsearching prior art under the broadest interpretation of a “mean for”claim limitation implies that the broadest initial search on 112(6)functional limitation would have to be conducted to support a legallyvalid Examination on that USPTO policy for broadest interpretation of“mean for” claims. Accordingly, the USPTO will have discovered amultiplicity of prior art documents including disclosure of specificstructures and elements which are suitable to act as correspondingstructures to satisfy all functional limitations in the below claimsthat are interpreted under 35 USC §112 (6) when such correspondingstructures are not explicitly disclosed in the foregoing patentspecification. Therefore, for any invention element(s)/structure(s)corresponding to functional claim limitation(s), in the below claimsinterpreted under 35 USC §112 (6), which is/are not explicitly disclosedin the foregoing patent specification, yet do exist in the patent and/ornon-patent documents found during the course of USPTO searching,Applicant(s) incorporate all such functionally corresponding structuresand related enabling material herein by reference for the purpose ofproviding explicit structures that implement the functional meansclaimed. Applicant(s) request(s) that fact finders during any claimsconstruction proceedings and/or examination of patent allowabilityproperly identify and incorporate only the portions of each of thesedocuments discovered during the broadest interpretation search of 35 USC§112 (6) limitation, which exist in at least one of the patent and/ornon-patent documents found during the course of normal USPTO searchingand or supplied to the USPTO during prosecution. Applicant(s) alsoincorporate by reference the bibliographic citation information toidentify all such documents comprising functionally correspondingstructures and related enabling material as listed in any PTO Form-892or likewise any information disclosure statements (IDS) entered into thepresent patent application by the USPTO or Applicant(s) or any 3rdparties. Applicant(s) also reserve its right to later amend the presentapplication to explicitly include citations to such documents and/orexplicitly include the functionally corresponding structures which wereincorporate by reference above.

Thus, for any invention element(s)/structure(s) corresponding tofunctional claim limitation(s), in the below claims, that areinterpreted under 35 USC §112 (6), which is/are not explicitly disclosedin the foregoing patent specification, Applicant(s) have explicitlyprescribed which documents and material to include the otherwise missingdisclosure, and have prescribed exactly which portions of such patentand/or non-patent documents should be incorporated by such reference forthe purpose of satisfying the disclosure requirements of 35 USC §112(6). Applicant(s) note that all the identified documents above which areincorporated by reference to satisfy 35 USC §112 (6) necessarily have afiling and/or publication date prior to that of the instant application,and thus are valid prior documents to incorporated by reference in theinstant application.

Having fully described at least one embodiment of the present invention,other equivalent or alternative methods of implementing premeasuredsingle doses of pediatric medication according to the present inventionwill be apparent to those skilled in the art. Various aspects of theinvention have been described above by way of illustration, and thespecific embodiments disclosed are not intended to limit the inventionto the particular forms disclosed. The particular implementation of thepremeasured single doses of pediatric medication may vary depending uponthe particular context or application. By way of example, and notlimitation, the premeasured single doses of pediatric medicationdescribed in the foregoing were principally directed to implementationsused in a medical setting; however, similar techniques may also beapplied to the use of pre-dosed medications in various differentsettings such as, but not limited to, in the home, camps for children,schools or any setting where children may be, which implementations ofthe present invention are contemplated as within the scope of thepresent invention. The invention is thus to cover all modifications,equivalents, and alternatives falling within the spirit and scope of thefollowing claims. It is to be further understood that not all of thedisclosed embodiments in the foregoing specification will necessarilysatisfy or achieve each of the objects, advantages, or improvementsdescribed in the foregoing specification.

Claim elements and steps herein may have been numbered and/or letteredsolely as an aid in readability and understanding. Any such numberingand lettering in itself is not intended to and should not be taken toindicate the ordering of elements and/or steps in the claims.

The corresponding structures, materials, acts, and equivalents of allmeans or step plus function elements in the claims below are intended toinclude any structure, material, or act for performing the function incombination with other claimed elements as specifically claimed.

The Abstract is provided to comply with 37 C.F.R. Section 1.72(b)requiring an abstract that will allow the reader to ascertain the natureand gist of the technical disclosure. It is submitted with theunderstanding that it will not be used to limit or interpret the scopeor meaning of the claims. The following claims are hereby incorporatedinto the detailed description, with each claim standing on its own as aseparate embodiment.

What is claimed is:
 1. An apparatus comprising: a container, saidcontainer comprises at least a volume, wherein said volume beingconfigured to retain a premeasured single dose of a medicationcorresponding to a predetermined weight range of a patient, in whichsaid container further comprises at least an IV bag that is prepackagedat the place of manufacture with said premeasured single dose medicationbeing configured to eliminate the error or time needed to calculate,measure, or draw up said medication during an administration of saidmedication, and wherein said premeasured single dose medication isprepackaged in said container at the time of manufacture, beforedelivery or administering to said patient; a first indicia, said firstindicia being disposed proximate an exterior surface of said container,wherein said first indicia is configured to display said premeasuredsingle dose medication; a second indicia, said second indicia beingdisposed on said exterior surface, wherein said second indicia isconfigured to display said predetermined weight range corresponding tosaid amount of said premeasured single dose medication, and wherein saidcontainer, pre-packaged with said premeasured single dose medication, isconfigured for a single use dosing of the patient having saidpredetermined weight range.
 2. The apparatus as recited in claim 1, inwhich said medication comprises a premeasured volume of IV medication tobe reconstituted into said IV bag.
 3. The apparatus as recited in claim1, in which said weight range differentiator further comprising asticker or a stamp being configured to check against said second indiciadisposed on said medication container.
 4. The apparatus as recited inclaim 1, in which said prepackaged IV bag is configured to be operablefor administration to a pediatric patient.
 5. The apparatus as recitedin claim 1, in which said container comprises a color-code configured tocorrespond to said predetermined weight range.
 6. The apparatus asrecited in claim 1, in which said second indicia is at least one of anicon, a cartoon character, an image of an animal, and a symbolassociated with said predetermined weight range.
 7. The apparatus asrecited in claim 6, in which said at least one of an icon, a cartooncharacter, an image of an animal, and a symbol matches at least one ofan icon, cartoon character, animal, and symbol on a patient's wristbandto be associated with the patient.
 8. The apparatus as recited in claim6, in which said at least one of an icon, a cartoon character, an imageof an animal, and a symbol on said patient's wristband matches at leastone of an icon, cartoon character, animal, and symbol displayed on aweight measuring device during weighing of the patient.
 9. The apparatusas recited in claim 1, in which said premeasured single dose medicationcomprises a premeasured single dose IV push med provided in a syringethat may be administered directly into the IV bag without measuring ordrawing up the medication.
 10. The apparatus as recited in claim 1, inwhich said volume is further configured to retain an amount of fluid inwhich said medication is dissolved, wherein said amount of fluid isappropriate for a specific weight classification.
 11. The apparatus asrecited in claim 2, in which said single dose is configured to beadministered for resuscitation situations.
 12. The apparatus as recitedin claim 11, in which the apparatus is configured for use in conjunctionwith color coding schemes for pediatric medication administration orresuscitation.
 13. The apparatus as recited in claim 12, in which saidcontainer is a color coded container configured to represent at leastone weight range.
 14. An apparatus comprising: a container, saidcontainer comprising a volume, wherein said volume being configured toretain a premeasured single dose of a medication corresponding to apredetermined weight range of a patient, in which said containercomprises a syringe prepackaged at the place of manufacture with saidpremeasured single dose medication being configured to eliminate theerror or time needed to calculate, measure, or draw up said medicationduring an administration of said medication, and wherein saidpremeasured single dose medication is contained in said prepackagedsyringe at the time of manufacture, before delivery or administering tosaid patient; a first indicia, said first indicia being disposedproximate an exterior surface of said syringe prepackaged at the placeof manufacture, wherein said first indicia is configured to display atype of said premeasured single dose medication; and, a second indicia,said second indicia being disposed on said exterior surface, whereinsaid second indicia is configured to display said predetermined weightrange corresponding to said amount of said premeasured single dosemedication, and wherein said container, pre-packaged with saidpremeasured single dose medication, is configured for a single usedosing of the patient having said predetermined weight range.
 15. Theapparatus as recited in claim 14, in which said apparatus furthercomprises a weight range differentiator, in which said weight rangedifferentiator comprising at least an image, wherein said weight rangedifferentiator is configured to further differentiate said predeterminedweight range.
 16. The apparatus as recited in claim 14, in which saidcontainer is configured with a color coding to match a color codingscheme for pediatric medication administration, in which said colorcoded prepackaged dispensing device is further configured with means forensuring a correct dose is administered.
 17. An apparatus comprising: adispensing device, said dispensing device comprising at least asuppository having a volume, wherein said volume is configured to be apremeasured single dose of medication that corresponds to a patient of acertain weight range, in which said single dose is configured to beappropriate for medical situations, in which said dispensing devicebeing configured to administer said predetermined dosage of saidmedication, and in which is contained in a prepackaged dispensing devicethat is so made at the time of manufacture, before delivery oradministering to said patient; a first indicia, said first indicia beingdisposed proximate an exterior surface of said dispensing device,wherein said first indicia is configured to display said premeasuredsingle dose medication; and, a second indicia, said second indicia beingdisposed on said exterior surface, in which said second indiciacomprises an indication of a predetermined weight range associated withsaid first indicia, wherein said dispensing device, pre-packaged at theplace of manufacture, with said single dose, is operable for a singleuse dosing of the patient
 18. The apparatus as recited in claim 17,further comprising a weight range differentiator, in which said weightrange differentiator comprising an image disposed on a proximateexterior of said wrist band, wherein said image is configured todifferentiate said predetermined weight range from a group ofpredetermined weight ranges.
 19. The apparatus as recited in claim 17,in which said prepackaged dispensing device is configured with a colorcoding to match a color coding scheme for pediatric medicationadministration, in which said color coded prepackaged dispensing deviceis further configured with means that generally ensures a correct doseis administered.
 20. The apparatus as recited in claim 17, furthercomprising a wristband, in which said wristband comprising anapproximate weight indicator of said patient, wherein said wristband isconfigured to check against said first indicia disposed on said singledose medication dispensing device being dispensed to generally ensure acorrect dose is administered in which said wristband is color coded tomatch a color coding of said dispensing device for pediatric medicationadministration.